Michaelmas Sermon 2020

Michaelmas Sermon 2020: Michael With Sword and Scales

Gospel Reading: Matthew 22: 1-14

Dear Community of Christians,

There are two powerful images attributed to the archangel Michael. 

If we look at the one picture, we see the archangel with the raised sword in his hand; the dragon under his foot and therefor under his power. His gaze goes over the dragon into the distance, where the dragon cannot cast a spell. 

The other picture shows the archangel in an upright figure, with the scale, weighing souls. And sometimes we even find both motifs in one picture. 

Let us immerse ourselves into the two pictorial statements, then, so to speak, they can begin express themselves. We have to face the archangel and also the dragon as very high divine spirits. From the beginning it was not clear if Michael would become master about the dragon. Courage, trust and the help of the angelic choir were qualities which made Michael's victory possible.

There is probably no question that we are currently standing as human beings in the midst of the confrontation with very dark forces that have one thing in mind, the human being to dehumanize! People shall be taken into spiritual bondage and then function only as an intelligent machine. 

To battle against such strong forces, it needs a great force of incredible courage and an unambiguous certainty that our fight for the future of spiritual man is essential for survival of mankind. But if we fail the fight to bring spirituality into the world in the right terms and to lead a spiritually oriented life, then the scales of the archangel will be affected.  

After death, the souls of men are weighed. We may then be faced with the question: "How courageous have you been and how big was your love for the development of the future of humanity?" 

Courage’s decision is like a sword. Then we will get help; whatever,this might look like. With our trust and the help of grace, we must not be fearful to be weighed.

Rev. Ute Koenig

Liane Collot d'Herbois - Michael und der Drache